1. Drop the course(s) for which you are requesting a credit/refund using the Registration and Enrolment Module (REM).
2. Complete a Financial Petition form.
3. If your financial petition is based on medical reasons, then you must also complete the Attending Physician’s Statement form.
4. Submit your Financial Petition form and relevant supporting documentation through the online Financial Petition Submission tool.

Submit your completed financial petition package to Osgoode’s Office of Student Financial Services.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies has a different petition submission process.

Have you:

• experienced an unforeseen circumstance/event during an academic term which disallowed you to continue your studies?
• dropped the course in which you plan to submit a financial petition for, or have an approved academic petition for any courses without a “W” grade?
• ensured this is within two terms¹ following the term in question?

If you answered yes to all, you may submit a financial petition request

Examples of unforeseen circumstances that took place during the term in question may include, but are not limited to, medical illnesses, death of an immediate family member, eviction notices, or assuming the role of a primary care giver.

Acceptable supporting documents to accompany your financial petition request includes the following, but is not limited to:

• A signed doctor's note
• Medical documents on letterhead
• Death certificate including proof of relationship with deceased individual (if applicable)
• Other third-party documentation that substantiates your circumstance

Note, supporting documentation is highly recommended to assist with the review process and decision making. Financial petition requests that are not accompanied by supporting documentations will be reviewed and additional information may be requested.

Refunds are automatically applied to your student account if you drop your courses after the start of classes, per the refund table. A financial petition request is not required to get these refunds.

Twice every month, the Student Financial Services Team within the Office of the University Registrar reviews financial petition requests. Requests made within two terms¹ of the course term in question and accompanied with acceptable supporting documentation will be notified of the results within one month of the request date.

Students who request a financial petition past two terms of the course term in question and/or do not have acceptable supporting documentation may be contacted to gather additional information. Further review may be required. Therefore, the results will be communicated within one month after the documentation has been received.

Financial Petition Requests that are not accompanied by supporting documentation and reflect an extenuating circumstance will be reviewed by the Financial Petitions Appeals Committee.

If your financial petition request is approved, a refund will be issued to your student account within two weeks of the decision letter.

If you were receiving OSAP during the study period of the course(s) in question, York University is required by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to send all or part of the refund directly to the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC). As outlined in the terms and conditions of the Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA). The refund amount will be applied to your outstanding student loans to reduce the principal owing.

Issues with your student account does not require a financial petition. Should you have any questions or concerns with your student account transactions with regards to payments or charges, please contact Student Support & Advising.

If you begin to experience difficulty keeping your student account in good standing, it is advised that you make an appointment with an advisor at Student Support & Advising to discuss the financial resources available to you. In addition, the Scholarship, Awards and Bursaries program offers financial assistance to students in need.

If you have received an undesirable financial petition result and would like to appeal the decision, you may do so if any of the following are applicable:

• Circumstances have changed
• New information is available that was not previously provided

To do so, please complete the Financial Petition Submission form. All appeals will be reviewed by the Financial Petitions Committee.

The FPC meets on a monthly basis to review all financial petition appeals. A quorum of four individuals is necessary to proceed with the review. Committee members include:

• Student Financial Services
• Student Support & Advising
• Student Accessibilities Services
• Faculty Representative

This committee will follow guidelines set forth by Student Financial Services and use-cases of similar circumstances, when reviewing each financial petition request/appeal. Results from the committee may include denials, approvals with prorated refunds, or approvals with full refunds. The results of the committee will be communicated to students within one month of the committee meeting. All decisions made by the committee are final.

Simply not attending classes or failing to drop unwanted courses are not sufficient grounds for a financial petition. Be aware that there can be financial penalties for dropping courses after the start of classes (see the Refund Tables). You are responsible for the full fee for any courses added to your record, regardless of when in the term you added the course.

Through the act of registration you are bound by the policies and regulations of the University, including the Faculty and program where you are registered. You are responsible for familiarizing yourself with those policies and regulations.

It is your responsibility to:

• carefully assess your ability to successfully complete a course when you enrol in or attend a class after it starts
• verify your course enrolments within the Registration and Enrolment Module
• ensure there are no time conflicts in your course schedules
• clarify instructions you received from University staff and instructors
• enrol in a manageable course load
• ensure the courses you choose are appropriate for your program requirements and course prerequisites.

Adding, dropping and replacing courses can result in additional charges to your student account. Replacing one course for another will generally result in new and additional charges for the new course being added in replacement of the other.

There are two sets of dates associated with dropping a course: one academic (related to consequences for your course enrolment status and academic transcript when you drop a course) and the other financial (related to consequences for your assessed course fees and possible refunds).

These deadlines are posted well in advance of the start of the academic session.

Missing the deadline to drop a course is not, in and of itself, grounds for a financial petition.

If you start to have difficulty keeping your student account in good standing, we strongly recommend you make an appointment with a Student Support and Advising to discuss the resources available to you.

Academic matters, such as those concerning the pedagogical relationship of the instructor and the student, course organization, grading practices or conduct of instructors, fall within the authority of the department or Faculty sponsoring the course. You should direct your concerns immediately to the responsible course department. We also advise that you contact the Office of the Dean in the responsible Faculty representing the course in question.

Administrative matters, such as allegations relating to actions (or failures to act) by an employee or an office of the University, fall within the authority of the responsible Faculty/department. You should contact the Office of the Dean or the responsible department for a thorough review/resolution of your situation.

For issues associated with transactions on your student account, please contact Student Support and Advising.